Chapter 18

Chapter 18

─ Principal!

─ Your Holiness!

The other students and scholars immediately knelt on one knee.

It was the etiquette for the Holy Spirit before being the principal.

Roan also knelt down after quickly reading the room.

Meanwhile, Harden clicked his tongue as he looked at Demona, who had fallen flat on her butt unsightly.

“……Tsk. A ghost. Wicronon. How do you resemble your ancestor so closely? This is why I kept saying until my lips wore out to mix blood with a smart family……”

“I-I’m sorry. But a gho…… Mmph!”

Roan tactfully covered the mouth of Demona, who was trying to talk back.

No matter how stubborn Demona was, he could not let her say something like ‘But aren’t you indeed a ghost?’ right in front of Harden’s face.

Unless he wanted a bolt of lightning to strike everyone’s crown for the crime of insolence.

‘But isn’t he really a ghost, though?’

Of course, that was not an incorrect statement.

“By the way, I believe I told you to show some restraint near my dormitory, Timothy.”

“I-I’m sorry! But the holy stone……!”

As Harden spoke with a voice full of dignity, Timothy trembled while prostrating himself.

“I understand you still haven’t excavated the holy stone that appeared three months ago from the fence of Luria Hall. No, what do you mean by three months? How about the one that appeared near Gidnak Hall just a fortnight ago?”

“T-That is correct.”

The faces of the freshmen who were listening quietly turned slightly pale.

As if holy stones were just boulders rolling around the neighborhood……!

“Still, since it appeared anyway…… Timothy, you take charge, collect it as quickly as possible, and bring it to me. I should make a chessboard after a long time. Tear away all this ridiculous cloth!”

“W-What are you doing! Get rid of the cloth first!”

Even before Timothy gave the order, the cloth was already rolling around, half-torn.

In Acherandir, or rather, in the Empire, Harden’s words were that absolute.

Even if he told them to die, they would die first!

Because in the worst-case scenario, the Holy Spirit would bring them back to life!

“Then we will collect it and return as quickly as possible.”

“Yes, and do not hang around near the dormitory.”

Having received Harden’s permission, the scholars bowed deeply and soon swarmed up the mountain.

With just that, the dormitory became a lot quieter.

“You guys don’t mind those fellows either, and go study.”

“Yes, Holy Spirit!”

Harden sent back even the remaining students.

‘Still, this means there won’t be any problem with the choir.’

Roan also felt grateful to Harden this time and was about to head back to the dormitory.

[Hey, Student Roan who uses that strange holy power, stay behind for a moment.]

Until Harden called him using his Gospel just like during the entrance ceremony.

Roan felt goosebumps rise on his back and turned around.

Harden was smiling brightly and gesturing at him.

“Roan? What’s wrong?”

Rafia called Roan.

“……Go on ahead.”

“Why? Is something wrong?”

Roan thought of an excuse for a moment and then vaguely replied.

“I think I’ll pick some herbs before going.”

“Why herbs all of a sudden?”

“……I think I might have a use for them.”

Rafia tilted her head as if she naturally had no idea what he meant, but the reaction popped out from elsewhere.

“Do we have Professor Atoga’s class tomorrow too?!”

“No way!”

It was Hector and Demona.

***

After somehow sending back Demona and Hector, who were throwing a fit saying they would also pick herbs.

Roan began to walk with Harden.

“You went to pick herbs for Atoga’s class? Why?”

“……I wasn’t sure if I could treat them.”

“Kahahahahaha!”

Harden laughed heartily.

To the point that, despite being the Holy Spirit, he shed a tiny tear!

‘With just that one drop, I could buy a whole castle on the outskirts of the Empire.’

Roan clearly memorized the spot where the tear fell.

Since it was the Holy Spirit’s tear, it would remain for quite a while even after falling.

Harden, who had been laughing for a while, barely managed to stop and asked.

“Oh dear, my goodness. By the way, your authority caused this commotion. What do you think about it?”

“What do you mean by it being because of me?”

“You are more shameless than I thought. The trace of your authority reacted with the debris when my barrier was released, resulting in the creation of the holy stone. Though thanks to that, you won’t get caught.”

“So it was because of the Principal’s barrier.”

“No, it is because of your authority.”

Roan slyly tried to shift the responsibility, but Harden did not back down and stubbornly insisted.

“It seems the authority residing in you is quite useful, more than I thought.”

“Do you perhaps know about my authority as well?”

Roan also knew nothing about the combination of false divinity and black magic, so he intended to extract information if Harden had any.

“I don’t know.”

At the sharp reply, Roan looked at Harden with narrowed eyes.

To think there was an authority that even Harden did not know well.

Perhaps Harden did not like that look, as he shone his holy light as intensely as possible.

Flash─!

“!!!!”

“You cheeky brat. I really don’t know.”

‘I haven’t even said anything yet!’

For a moment, Roan wondered if he had gone blind and carefully opened his eyes.

Fortunately, his eyes were more than fine; rather, it felt like his eyesight had improved slightly.

……Even this was a miraculous effect of Harden’s holy power.

“If you want to keep attending the academy, it would be best for you to have some respect for me. Anyway, even though I told Timothy to finish quickly, it will take a few days. Will you be able to go look for the choir?”

“……How did you know that too?”

Roan asked, too stunned to even show surprise.

Even the great Harden shouldn’t be able to read his mind?

“Isn’t it obvious when an gloomy fellow like you hangs around the back mountain at the beginning of admission? I suppose you obtained the information while you were at the Holy Emperor’s Palace?”

“……You are correct.”

Roan nodded readily.

In reality, it was roughly similar.

Since it was information he had found while digging through very old ancient books in the secret library of the Holy Emperor’s Palace.

Of course, he had not found it with Roan’s body.

“Hmm, as expected.”

Only then did Harden nod as if he finally understood.

Did he test me?

Roan was dumbfounded, but he did not look straight at Harden like before.

Perhaps Harden liked that attitude, as he burst into a hearty laugh.

“Yes, exactly that. Anyway, since you decided to look for it, do well. I’m curious to see what will happen when you use it, so make sure to show me too. Well then, enjoy picking your herbs.”

Then, leaving those words behind, he vanished like a ghost once more.

Roan stared at the spot where the Principal had stood with dumbfounded eyes.

‘He even knew about that?’

He had thought that only players would know the hidden condition that a black mage uses the choir.

That Principal, even though he’s an NPC, just how far did he experiment?

Roan decided to modify his original plan somewhat.

Originally, he had intended to monopolize all the hidden pieces he knew to the best of his ability.

‘If it becomes too obvious that I know too much, that would be suspicious as well.’

A need to adjust his pace had arisen.

It only delayed his schedule, so it was not a very difficult task.

Since all he had to do was roam around every corner of the school whenever he had time to build up an alibi.

Once the first week passed, his schedule would become more relaxed.

“Roan!”

Just then, Demona called Roan from over there.

It was quite deep in the mountain; how did she find him?

“I’m here.”

“Ro-a-an!”

Demona rushed toward Roan with an expression half-mixed with emotion and worry.

Indeed, even hate could grow into affection; she seemed to worry about him as a friend since he was called by the Principal!

‘Well, in the game, she was quite an affectionate fellow after all.’

Demona, who might not sacrifice her life for others, but at least knew the honor of her family!

Just as Roan was about to look at Demona in a new light with that thought.

“You, why are you so late when you have all the dinner ingredients! I’ve been looking for you for ages!”

“Ah.”

Demona grumbled as she practically snatched Roan’s bag away.

“Anyway, the herbs you said you’d use tomorrow…… why are you looking at me with those eyes?”

“……It’s nothing.”

‘I was the fool for expecting anything!’

***

“Ah, I heard you bought food from the commercial district? Do you want to cook and eat it with my ingredients?”

When Roan and Demona returned, Beanin suggested this.

It was possible because the dormitory room had a kitchen where they could do simple cooking.

Roan readily pulled out the ingredients from his bag.

Unlike the freshmen who had bought mostly cost-effective items to save talants, Beanin possessed quite a few high-quality ingredients.

“Wow, Senior. Are you good at cooking too?”

Hector kept exclaiming in admiration upon seeing Beanin’s ingredients.

What he brought out was not just meat, but also everything needed to add flavor, including spices without exception.

‘Macdin leaves, Salid roots, and even Gaspu fruit. He has the basics down well.’

Roan also nodded.

Those three varieties were a combination that produced an incredible savory flavor when boiled together.

To the extent that they were commonly called the MSG of God & Devil.

Beanin spoke, feeling embarrassed by his juniors’ reactions.

“It’s nothing special. The place where I used to live was completely rural…… in a place like that, you have to use things like this to bring out the flavor.”

Hearing those words, it made one’s nose tingle for no reason.

‘Indeed, he was taught well!’

Since the black mages who raised Beanin lived hidden in the mountains, they were accustomed to bringing out flavors using such plants.

When Roan raised Beanin, he had made him memorize all kinds of recipes and crafting methods before having him enter Acherandir.

“I like meat, though…… Senior, can’t you put in more meat instead of that grass-like stuff?”

He was far better than Demona, who complained about side dishes without even knowing what role each ingredient played in the cooking.

“Hm? Hahaha. These aren’t put in to be eaten. Still, I’ll put in a bit more meat.”

“Yay!”

Demona, having achieved her desired goal, cheered.

Whack─!

Roan smacked the back of Demona’s head.

“Ow! Why?!”

“Don’t try to steal and eat Senior’s food when you didn’t even buy meat.”

What Roan’s group had prepared was nothing more than a few herbs and some rice.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Anyway, once you move up a grade, you can obtain ingredients even without talants.”

Beanin waved his hand and took out a bit more meat from the pantry to put into the pot.

Roan nodded again, seeing that generous display.

‘Indeed, this is why home education is important…… hm.’

Thinking about it, it was not as if the Wicronon family would neglect education, though.

“Why are you looking at me with those eyes again?”

“……I was thinking about the future of the Wicronon family.”

“Ah, is that so? Thanks.”

Demona brushed off Roan’s words lightly.

She probably thought Roan was sincerely worried about the future of her family.

On the other hand, Hector, who was quietly listening to their conversation, tilted his head.

“?”

Didn’t he just insult her?

But since the party involved brushed it off so casually, maybe not.

At any rate, with the other three assisting Beanin’s cooking skills, dinner was completed in no time.

A dish of boiled pork mixed with various spices and coated with Beanin’s special sauce.

The four of them dished out the food onto their respective plates and sat around the table.

“Now, enjoy your meal, everyone.”

As Beanin spoke with a smile, Roan and Demona readily picked up their forks and knives.

It was a scent that Roan was also quite looking forward to.

“Wait.”

But just then, Hector stopped everyone with a cold voice.

“Uh, yes? What is it, Hector?”

“Aren’t you forgetting something right now?”

When the three tilted their heads, Hector gave them the answer.

“We must offer our gratitude to Lord Hiloa. If you are a true believer.”

“……Ah, ah! Right, indeed.”

The words ‘true believer’ spoken by the descendant of a heretic inquisitor family carried an entirely different weight.

He felt like he would invite useless misunderstandings if he didn’t do it!

Beanin, who was briefly at a loss for words, soon clasped his hands together.

Roan also prepared to pray.

“What gratitude? He’d probably be happier if we just enjoy the food.”

Demona grumbled, finding it bothersome.

‘Jeez, who’s the black mage here?’

Roan clicked his tongue inwardly.

The spy of the black mages and the real black mage were praying out of a guilty conscience, so it was absurd that Demona was the one saying such things.

Did they really not need to act to this extent?

“……Thus, Your faithful servant prays.”

The brief prayer ended, and the meal began in earnest.

Demona began to wolf down the food first.

Not to mention Hector and Roan, even Beanin didn’t seem to care much, as if he had expected it to some extent.

“How is class for everyone? Can you keep up?”

“Yes. It was fun.”

Roan nodded at Beanin’s question.

At that, Demona and Hector stared blankly at him.

“What.”

“Ah, you mean Professor Beleck’s class, right?”

Demona clapped her hands as if she finally remembered.

However, Roan denied it at once.

“No, Assistant Joy’s class.”

“Cough!”

Beanin, who had been chewing his meat while listening to the conversation with interest, suddenly coughed.

Assistant Joy?

“Ahem, was it history class today? It seems Professor Timothy was absent again.”

Though he didn’t know if the word ‘absent’ suited a professor.

“Yes. He came for a brief moment and went back out. Assistant Joy taught the class instead.”

“So, that class was fun?”

Beanin asked Roan with a bewildered look.

Roan replied as if nothing was wrong.

“Yes. Isn’t history class fun?”

It was natural that teaching history, which even Roan did not know well, was more interesting than basic holy magic that he couldn’t even use.

After all, even in God & Devil, it didn’t provide every single lecture exactly as is.

Moreover, Joy conducted the class while mixing in interesting stories here and there.

Stories that were interesting to only Roan among all those freshmen!

“The origin of May 4th, where people bless each other’s sneezes, was interesting. To think it started from the Holy Spirit’s sneeze causing a miracle……”

“““???”””

What sneeze all of a sudden?

‘Fanatic, did the assistant really tell that kind of story?’

‘I fell asleep, so I don’t know.’

Beanin, Demona, and Hector had to listen to every famous instance of sneezes that existed in history for a full ten minutes.

Finally, Roan’s long lecture came to an end.

Demona hesitated for a moment, then asked.

“So, you’re saying the part where the Principal sneezed was interesting?”

“……I did not say that.”

Roan dismissed it with a cold expression.

What had they been listening to his words as all this time!

Instead of speaking directly like Demona, Hector and Beanin thought to themselves.

‘Is a sneeze really that important?’

‘It doesn’t seem very important.’

However, Roan was serious in his own way.

“No, wait. Demona, do you know about Saint Gregor’s Day then?”

“Saint Gre…… Did that mister sneeze?”

“……Hector, what about you?”

“Gregor performed a miracle……?”

“Ahem.”

Looking at him, Beanin didn’t seem particularly confident either.

‘Good grief!’

Roan sighed.

To think that the bastards who actually lived here didn’t know a thing about what he had memorized just from playing a game!

Setting Demona aside, it was a bit of a shock that even the faithful Hector and the well-educated Beanin were like this.

Of course, Roan had memorized it because he liked it, though.

‘I absolutely cannot tolerate this.’

How informative and interesting the setting—no, the history—was; it felt like he had to teach them.

“I guess it can’t be helped. Listen carefully. Saint Gregor’s Day began 1,527 years ago and……”

Regardless of the three’s reactions, Roan excitedly prattled on.

The three recoiled at the specific figure of 1,527 years ago, and were bewildered by the statement that it disappeared 102 years ago.

‘How are we supposed to know that!’

A century sounded short, but even just medium and small noble families that appeared and disappeared within a hundred years would number at least ten.

Even the Darc family, one of the four major families of the Empire, was destroyed fifteen years ago, yet the freshmen didn’t know much about it, did they?

To think he was reciting such history so fluidly as if it were natural……

Demona, forgetting to eat the meat she had pricked with her fork, spoke with her mouth wide open.

“Roan. Are you by any chance Professor Timothy?”

“…….”

Hector quickly settled the atmosphere that had instantly turned cold.

“I-It wasn’t that strange. It is a good thing to take an interest in history.”

At that, Roan glared at Demona once and relaxed his expression.

Seeing what Hector was saying, he seemed to show quite a bit of potential.

If a newbie like this was interested in the setting—no, history—he had no choice but to satisfy their expectations.

Roan nodded, wearing the kindest smile he could manage with that face.

“Do you think so too, Hector? Of course. History is very important. It is informative and even fun.”

Especially with settings that they hadn’t known yet, how enjoyable was this.

He had no choice but to impart knowledge to these poor fools who didn’t even know history from barely a hundred years ago.

“Particularly this time, about the Pabilto family……”

As Roan started revving up again, an emergency was declared for the remaining three.

They had never imagined they would have to listen to an additional lecture during dinner time.

‘No, if classes were like that, everyone would escape.’

Beanin, who had taken quite a few classes, felt this even more.

Hector and Demona stared at Beanin with desperate eyes.

‘Senior, please stop him quickly!’

‘I feel like we’ll have to stay up all night at this rate, please…….’

Beanin was also in a difficult position, but he could not simply ignore his juniors’ earnest requests.

“Uh, Roan. How about we eat first? The meat will get cold. Hahaha.”

With an extremely awkward tone and an extremely awkward laugh.

Still, since it was his senior’s words, Roan took a step back for now.

“Tsk, it is still far from enough, but since we are eating, I will let it go.”

Having finished speaking, Roan looked around the three with pitying eyes.

Demona and Hector naturally practically buried their faces in the table.

‘S-Still, I am the senior!’

Beanin felt wronged by how the situation had turned out, but he had nothing to say.

Because Roan was literally a living history book, Timothy in disguise himself.

‘At that rate, he probably even has the tea leaves the Holy Emperor liked thousands of years ago memorized.’

Beanin did not even imagine that this absurd guess would actually be true.

He weakly moved his fork, resolving to take additional history classes starting next semester.

‘Though it is frustrating, I feel relieved to think that I filled my friends’ knowledge even just a little!’

On the other hand, Roan felt pleased inwardly.

He hadn’t been able to speak carelessly all this time for fear of attracting attention, but he felt like his suppressed desire was finally satisfied to some extent.

“……I’m not eating with Roan in the future.”

Thanks to that, Demona was able to get away without receiving Roan’s scolding even after muttering this.